Apron for shoe-sewing machines.



I. H. LA ROUCHE.

APRON FOR SHOE SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.so. I916.

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Patented June 11, 1918.

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JERSEY, a conrom'rron OF NEW JERS Y.

APBON FOB SHOE-SEWING MACHINES.

-certain new and useful Improvementsdni,

' Aprons for Shoe-Sewing Machines; an

do hereby declare the, following to be a full, clear, andexactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

The present invention relates to an improvement in aprons for shoe sewing machines of the'curved needle, lockstitch type such as are used for stitching the outer soles to the weltsa I Shoe sewing machines of this type are commonly provided with a guard or apron located at the front of the machine and below the work table to prevent the looper and sole stitching operation. These aprons have The most usual arrangement is to removably secure been arranged in various ways.

the apron afl its lower end to the machine so as to permit of ready access to the parts covered by the apron, leaving the upper end of the apron free, or resting against the worktable or a fixed part of the machine. Both these upper .end arrangements are undesirable, the former because not only may the apron be pushed against the looper as the shoe is fed during the stitching operation, but also because the apron may be pushed inwardly far enough for the needle to strike it, and if the apron is of metal, to be thereby damaged; and the latter because when the apron rests against the work table and there is suficient clearance betweenthe looperand the apron for some adjustments of the looper, there is not suiiicient clearance between them for other adjustments of the looper, and consequently the looper strikes the apron as it loops the thread around the needle. The arrangement by which the up-" per end of the apron rests againstithe work table is open to the further objection thatthe apron is thereby so positioned that it is liable to interfere with the proper manipulation of the shoe.

The object of the present invention is to Patented June 11, 1918 Application filed August 80, 1916. Serial F0. 117,765. i

provide anapron and support for the above described type of shoe sewing machine, having provision wherebythe apron maybe adjusted correspondingly to the adjustments of the looper so that the distance of its up-' per part, which is in close proximity to the looper, may be unchanged with relation thereto, the lower end of the apron remaining in unadjusted or fixed position. By means of this arrangement, not only is the apron in properrelation to the looper so as not to be struck thereby, but also, and as a consequence thereof, the apron is prevented from being struck by the needle. This ob- 'ject is accomplished by the invention hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrate ing the preferred form of the invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a lock stitch shoe sewing machine as is necessary to show the application of the improved apron and supporting means thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail View.

in perspective of the adjustable abutment block against which the upper end of the apron (shown in dot and dash lines) is a'daptedto rest.

The parts of the lock stitch shoe sewing'machine illustrated in the drawings comprise a curved hook needle 4, a curved awl 6,a presser foot 8, an edge gage 10, a work supporting table 12, a thread finger 14, a looper 16, and a flanged plate 18, together with other stitch forming elements. The arrangement and mode of operation of these stitch forming devices are described with substantial accuracy in United States Letters Patent No. 1,169,909. The improved apron 22 is located at the front of the machine just below the- Work table, and consists of a thin sheet of resilient metal removably secured at it lower end to a bracket 24 fastened in like manner to the upper front side of the plate 18. The upper end of the apron is freely supported. By means of this construction the apron may be swung to one side to afi'ord access to the looper or other parts covered by the apron. The up er end ofthe apron terminates immediate y below the work table and is provided with a shoulder 26 which is adapted to engage a stop boss 28 extending forwardly from an adjustable abutment block 30, against which the operator presses the apron as he guides the shoe. The relation of the shoe to the work table and apron while the outer sole is being stitched to the welt is illustrated in Fig. 1. The shoe is fed from right to left (viewing Fig. 2) during the stitching operation an the operator presses the shoe inwardly so that the shoe upper, a portion of which is represented at 34:, rubs against the upper is provided with a slot 38 formed longitudina ly of its length, by which it may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly according to the path of travel of the looper, in order that the looper may not strike the apron during the looping operation. Extending downwardly from the front end of the abutment block is a flange 40 which afi'ords a bearing surface against which the apron is pressed and by which it is prevented from touching the looper. It will be observed that the upper end of the apron is held against the abutment block by its own resiliency. The adjustability of the abutment block compensates for the various adjustments of the looper; and when it is secured in adjust/ed position relatively to the looper, the abutment block affords a positive support for the apron so that it may not be pushed into the path of the needle and cause injury to the needle.

By means of the structure of the present invention the upper end of the apron may be adjusted relatively to the looper, to the edge gage, and to the other stitch forming revents the apron from parts, while the lower end of the apron re- I mains in fixed position.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claime is 1. A. lock stitch shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle, a looper, a work table an apron interposed between the looper and the shoe operated upon, and means for supporting the upper end of the apron having provision whereby the upper end only of the apron may be adjusted relatively to the looper and work table.

' 2. A lock stitch shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle, a looper, a work table, an apron secured at its lower end to the machine, and an abutment against which the upper end of the apron is adapted to rest having provision whereby the posi- .tion of the upper end of the apron may be adjusted relatively to the looper independently of the lower end of theapron.

3. A look stitch shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices includin a curved hook needle, a looper, a work ta le, an apron having a shoulder at its upper end, and an adjustable abutment provided with a boss with which the shoulder is adapted to engage during the stitch formin operation.

4. A ock stitch shoe sewing machine having in combination, stitch formi devices inciuding a curved hook needle, a looper, a WOrk table, an apron interposed between the looper and the shoe operated upon removably secured at its lower end to the machine, and

an adjustable abutment mounted on the work table for supporting the upper end of the apron.

5. A lock stitch shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle, a looper, a work table, an edge gage, an apron, and means for supporting the upper end of the apron and for adjusting it relatively to the looper and to the edge Jgiage.

JUSEPH LA RUUCHE; 

